All hail the resilience of Argentina’s side here. They spent the pregame warmup interceding in the stands where their fans were battling Brazilian fans and security personnel. Then they endured 26 fouls. And Brazil strung together some attacks that posed problems for the Argentine defense.
But that defense held, and they put away the only serious chance they had.
Must feel nice to walk away with this result. The standings, again, hardly matter – Argentina will walk into the next World Cup – but this will be remembered as a brave performance under pressure.
That’s all for now. See you next time, when I’ll hopefully be covering something less violent. Maybe a UFC card.
You can read the full report from tonight’s game here:
Updated
Updated live table
Peru and Venezuela are still playing, but the other four games in South America tonight have concluded, including a 1-0 win for Ecuador over Chile.
So with Peru leading 1-0, the table looks like this:
15 pts: Argentina
13: Uruguay (beat Bolivia 3-0)
12: Colombia (beat Paraguay 1-0)
8: Venezuela
8: Ecuador
7: Brazil
5: Paraguay
5: Chile
4: Peru
3: Bolivia
The top six teams qualify. The seventh-place team goes to playoffs.
Brazil will be fine. Just not tonight.
Argentina’s players immediately head toward the corner of the stadium where their fans, who were on the receiving end of some truncheons a couple of hours ago, are now standing and singing in full voice. It’s steamy in Rio, but revenge is a dish best served cold.
That’s not to say Argentina’s fans were blameless. We don’t know. There will surely be some investigations here.
Full time: Brazil 0-1 Argentina
Are you not entertained?
What? You’re not? Yeah, that’s fair.
90 mins +6: A cheeky 55-yard shot lands in Alisson’s hands. More importantly, that eats up a few previous seconds, and …
90 mins +4: Argentina have it now, and they’re passing the ball around to the dismay of what’s left of the Brazilian crowd.
But they turn it over near midfield. Free kick to Brazil, and they get a couple of half-chances before taking a low-percentage shot that rolls neatly into the hands of Martinez.
90 mins +3: Another high ball floated into the Argentine penalty area, and again, Martinez reaches into the sky and returns with the ball safely in his hands. He’s had a memorable night.
90 mins +2: Another Brazilian foul, and they’re caught napping on the restart, which Argentina quickly play into the penalty area. But they recover and collect the ball.
90 mins: Speaking of Martinez, the Argentine keeper puts his body on the line to collect a high cross and handles it well. He’ll require a few seconds to shake off the effects of colliding with a player and the ground.
Six minutes of stoppage time for Brazil to avoid a distressing defeat.
89 mins: Brazil is up to 25 fouls now. Still time to get 30. But they’re moving the ball around in the Argentine half with, if not a sense of urgency, considerable poise.
86 mins: Reckless tackle by Argentina, and Brazil get a free kick from near the benches. It swings tantalizingly over the area but finds no attacker in position to shoot.
Justin Kavanaugh takes issue with Emiliano Martinez reaching into the stands to interfere with security, but I’d withhold judgment on that. This will require a review to see if security protected Argentine fans or made things much worse for them.
Red card to Joelinton
If you bet against the game ending with 22 players, as a few of us advised earlier, you may now cash in your bet.
But this one seems a little harsh, to be honest. The Brazilian forward is tied up at midfield and reacts with an impetuous shove. But it’s not particularly violent.
Of course, it’s once again De Paul absorbing the contact. But you don’t give straight red cards for persistent infringement.
80 mins: That said, how did I get “Peredes”? I suppose it’s a good sign that this game is now compelling me to devote my attention that way and not to what I’m typnkjkjnskjg
77 mins: Daniel Vergara chimes in: “I commend your effort to make sure you get one vowel wrong on every Argentine player’s name (you’ve done it with Otamendi, Paredes, and Tagliafico in the last few minutes alone).”
I’ll be happy to lend them one of mine.
And I need a new keyboard.
More subs, and they will not include a new Argentine keeper. They will include a departure for Messi, who has been virtually invisible since leading his team off the field during the pregame nastiness. Di Maria replaces him.
75 mins: Expounding upon the last Argentine substitution window – it was Gonzalez and Paredes for Lo Celso and Fernandez.
Martinez is now seated on the ground waiting for a trainer.
73 mins: Thomas Tierney writes: “Might have been a bit harsh on De Paul earlier, he may not have the technical ability of his colleagues in midfield but his work rate and desire to cover others’ defensive responsibilities are unmatched. Despite enjoying the style Diniz is employing, perhaps if he had a De Paul in the team he wouldn’t be staring 3 consecutive defeats.”
Perhaps, though I thought he was beaten a few times. But I’m not sure I’d be able to run after taking all this punishment. Not that I can run now.
72 mins: Farewll to Raphinha. On comes the 17-year-old Endrick for Brazil.
Also, Joelinton replaces Gabriel Magalhaes.
Updated
70 mins: Lo Celso jogs off, taking steps of about six inches at a time, as he departs the Argentine side for the evening. Paredes is in. There was a second sub as well.
Updated
69 mins: Barbara Seese writes: “The game is kind of a mess, but I’m enjoying your commentary. It’s 66 degrees F in Phoenix, AZ (USA). Just thought I’d throw that in …”
Is that an invitation to visit? How quickly can I get there? I’m listening to rain pounding my roof and windows.
67 mins: Dangerously close to an own goal to double the advantage as Lo Celso puts a free kick close to one post.
Hey, doesn’t Argentina have a player who’s pretty good? Just signed this summer with Inter Miami? What’s his name again? Is he out there on the field?
66 mins: Raphinha tries to answer immediately, but the Brazilian attack again meanders to an acute angle.
Tagliafico replaces Acuna for Argentina.
Updated
GOOOOALLL! Brazil 0-1 Argentina (Otamendi 63)
It’s a simple play in the end. Lo Celso’s corner kick goes to the middle of the area, where Otamendi rises above his marker and heads into the net. No chance for Alisson, no defender on the line.
Updated
62 mins: Something brewing here for Argentina? A couple of good turns at one corner of the penalty area, a centering pass, a shot smashed into the defense, a shot deflected for a corner, and …
61 mins: Argentina regain control in what has slowly evolved into a compelling game. The visitors have had more than 57% of the possession thus far.
58 mins: CHANCE, and that was a good one for the Brazilian breakaway, with Gabriel Jesus off to the races on the left before centering for Martinelli near the top of the area. Martinez makes a good save on the well-struck shot.
The best attacking moment of the night by either side, by some distance.
56 mins: Brazil call off the press momentarily, and that appears to be a bad idea. Maybe we’ve all forgotten this, but Argentina have a lot of decent players.
55 mins: A shot. Sort of. Raphinha dances along the end line and ends up one-on-one with Martinez, but he has no logical angle at which to shoot. He’ll settle for the moral victory of making Argentina’s keeper do something.
54 mins: Apologies for this belated update, but Nino has replaced Marquinhos for Brazil. The home side are continuing to press the action. They also have yet to commit a foul in this half.
50 mins: Karris Evans writes: “It’s currently 10am here in Western Australia and the match is live on Free-to-Air tv. It’s 35 degrees already so I can empathise with the players in the hot Maracana! 8 arrests have been made from the earlier fracas, our commentator (from the English international feed) has just informed us. Brazilian fans who got into that small away fans section.”
I think it’s close to 35 degrees where I am, too. Unfortunately, in my case, that’s Fahrenheit, and it’s raining. It’s what people think happens in England but is actually a major part of the climate along the USA’s mid-Atlantic coast.
Brazil still with solid possession in the Argentine half.
49 mins: Ho Wi-Chi, on the other hand, is not amused: “Half the time the players are rolling on the ground pretending a serious injury while they are able to foul in the next minutes. This is simply a waste of time and a disgrace to football.”
But we’ve just been graced by another keen sequence of passes from Brazil that was one good touch away from being a serious scoring chance.
Andy writes: “I’ve been watching football for more than 50 years, and this is one of the funniest, most entertaining spectacles ever! As a QPR fan, perhaps my bar is set rather low but nevertheless, the s---housery is splendid, and we even get odd bursts of brilliant movement here and there. I’m loving it!”
Let’s just hope QPR don’t get any ideas from this …
46 mins: Oh, they kicked off again. I’ll let you know if actual soccer is played.
The pregame fighting …
Maybe the most astonishing part of the skirmishes in the stands before this game was the sight of Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez reaching up in an apparent effort to get the police to quit hitting people.
EL DIBU DEFENDIENDO A LOS HINCHAS ARGENTINOS EN MEDIO DE LA REPRESIÓN POLICIAL pic.twitter.com/iEXBISudaW
— TyC Sports (@TyCSports) November 22, 2023
Hat tip to FanNation for that.
That’s also the lead photo on this story on the unrest:
Thomas Tierney writes: “As much as I’d have loved to have seen the full 10 minutes injury time of De Paul getting kicked all over the pitch, I think I’ll be happier in the morning with 3, especially considering the delayed start.”
I would agree that less is more at this point.
Simon James again: “This game has been chaotic. An unstructured mess. And not in an entertaining way. In a high press, pinball, excessive fouling way. No discernible patterns of play, no fluidity, neither team can keep the ball for more than a handful of passes. The only moments of quality have come from Gabriel Martinelli.”
I’d only argue slightly that we have seen a few sequences of brilliant moves, but Martinelli is indeed the one person you’d select from this game and say, “Yes, I’d like to see this person play again.”
Halftime: Brazil 0-0 Argentina
We’ve had as many game-delaying brawls as we’ve had scoring chances.
We’ve had 16 Brazilian fouls. Argentina have tried to fight back with six.
Your soccer-hating friend is texting to you to gloat about how this is a sport full of shirt-pulling and embellished injuries.
45 mins +1: That’ll be three minutes, which seems stingy.
Gabriel reaches around Alvarez’s neck to pull him down, and the Argentine continues to play while on the ground being kicked by various Brazilian players who seem agitated when our referee reminds them this is not how you play this game.
45 mins: We will have stoppage time. I have neither heard nor seen a number. Maybe they’re still adding.
44 mins: CHANCE, and it’s cleared off the line after Martinez punches the corner kick out to the top of the area, where Martinelli threads a shot through the people in the box but not the Argentine defender on the line, whose identity I didn’t catch.
43 mins: Another corner for Brazil, thanks to a deflected shot from Rodrygo, and the Brazilian attacker waves his arms to urge on the crowd.
41 mins: Argentina decide to demonstrate their own mastery of possession futbol, stringing together an impressive series of passes broken up at last by a slide from Raphinha.
Messi is once again receiving treatment very high up on his leg.
40 mins: I’m sure Argentina will eventually take this throw-in. They seem to be daring Piero Maza to flash another yellow card.
37 mins: Another good combination form Brazil, and it ends with Guimaraes effectively shielding the ball and drawing contact for a free kick from a dangerous location.
Players are taking in water every chance they get. Conditions are warm and quite humid.
Raphinha takes the kick, and it’s not far over the bar. And it deflected off the wall, so this will be a corner for Brazil.
36 mins: Another nifty move from Martinelli past the unfortunate De Paul, but he presses his luck too far and eventually cedes possession.
For all their cynicism, Brazil seem more likely to do something with the ball.
34 mins: Yellow to Carlos Augusto for a needless foul.
Then Brazil goes about as close to Route 1 football as it gets, and Martinez has to rush out to impose himself just outside the penalty area.
31 mins: More Brazilian pressure. Argentina find a pathway through and settle at midfield. Then someone gets a notion of sending a through ball, but Alisson quickly collects and sends it up the left to Martinelli, who brilliantly slips past two defenders.
29 mins: Martinez has been called into action to collect the ball with his hands. Goalkeepers are allowed to do this. They have had no need to do so through most of this match.
28 mins: A probing pass for Argentina into the Brazilian penalty area, and we have a clash of knee vs. leg. But it would be harsh to award a penalty there.
Meanwhile, Messi is hiking up his shorts and getting treatment near a delicate area.
25 mins: “English please, not American,” writes Robert Heath. I believe it’s past midnight in England, and I’m told England has better things to do.
If not, please send me some biscuits.
23 mins: What’s most frustrating about the way this is playing out is that, when they remember the object of this game, Brazil look sharp. Another sequence of short passes and spin moves leaves defenders chasing ghosts, but Argentina eventually put enough numbers around the ball to win it back. But the sequence looked good, so if the fight goes to the judges …
21 mins: A tough tackle stops a Brazilian attack, but our referee waves play on, perhaps just tired from blowing his whistle so much. Gabriel Jesus is not pleased.
Now Rodrygo is down at midfield, with goalkeeper Alisson all the way out to check on him while play is stopped. Again. Stoppage time might be measured in days here.
19 mins: I hate this situation when I’m reffing. Both players carelessly had their feet up where their feet shouldn’t be, and both are down slightly injured and seriously complaining. Argentina will have the free kick. Eventually.
Updated
18 mins: EIGHT! EIGHT Brazilian fouls so far. Ah ah ah ah ah …
16 mins: Brazilian players seem genuinely surprised that the fouls against them are being called. Seven so far. Now our referee is having a few words with Brazilian coach Fernando Diniz, who is … (checks news) … still employed as Brazil’s coach.
Updated
14 mins: Yellow to Raphinha for slapping the face of … De Paul? What’d the Atletico Madrid midfielder do to deserve all this? This is turning into a slapstick routine, but I don’t think De Paul is acting. Well, maybe a little …
Updated
13 mins: When they do it legally, Brazil press very effectively. This is a hard-earned corner kick coming up after Argentina simply couldn’t get out of tight quarters.
11 mins: De Paul, playing with a bunch of gauze wadded up in his nose, takes a knee to his thigh. Foul.
And another foul.
Over/under on Brazil’s foul count tonight? 30?
Updated
10 mins: Simon James asks a pertinent question: “Wonder what the odds are on at least one red card tonight? If Brazil vs Argentina didn’t already have enough of a rivalry, you’ve now got a wounded Brazil playing their arch rivals at home - who also happens to be reigning world champions - with crowd trouble before the game, and several face offs between the players before the match even kicked off. Already seen our first yellow card, and plenty of spicy challenges, just 6 minutes in. Plus, Christian Romero is on the pitch.”
We also have a referee who does not appear inclined to put up with this nonsense, so I’d say the odds are very much against ending this match with 22 players on the field.
8 mins: Actually, the shirt might be OK. De Paul and Messi stand near the ball 35 yards out for a free kick while players jostle in the wall. This will be a bruising affair.
The free kick is partially cleared and ultimately results in a harmless shot wide.
5 mins: A half-chance for Argentina, with Acuna running straight at the defense. Unfortunately, his shot is also straight at the defense.
Then a yellow card to Brazilian attacker Gabriel Jesus for a soft but needless swat to the face of De Paul as the Argentine closes in. De Paul seems to be exaggerating the effects, but upon further review, he is indeed bleeding and will change shirts.
3 mins: Argentina did not press when Brazil had the ball. We cannot say the same in the inverse, as Brazil makes Argentine keeper Martinez rush a pass. Then the press goes overboard with a rugby tackle. You’d think a rugby match would favor the visitors here.
2 mins: If you like Brazil’s flair for running off a dazzling series of short passes, you’re in heaven at the moment. Otamendi has to be alert to cut out the danger.
Is it worth mentioning that Argentina just elected a new president nicknamed “El Loco”?
Not that the fans need any reason to feel a bit of enmity in this always-fraught rivalry.
But it appears we … have kickoff!
Simon James writes that Telemundo’s commentators are saying the game will restart in 15 minutes.
A few Brazilian players decide to confront Argentina’s squad for some reasons. Words and gestures are exchanged, but they separate.
Argentina’s players are back at the mouth of the tunnel. They tentatively jog onto the field.
A larger scale from field view …
On a happier note, here are some fans kissing …
Marco emails: “Commentary on Globo (Brazilian media) have said that this brawl was instigated by Brazil supporters jeering and booing over the Argentine anthem. The Argentina squad, along with Marquinhos, are trying to get the crowd to stand down, but Messi along with the rest of them are walking off the pitch and it looks as if the match isn’t going to go ahead. Deplorable scenes.”
What we’re seeing now is a little calmer. Maybe people have realized they need to knock it off if they want to see Messi play – this could, of course, be the last time he plays in Brazil.
Don’t expect kickoff to be immediate in any case. Argentina’s players were last seen going through a door and closing it behind them.
This looks bad. Very bad.
Argentina’s players had gone over to the corner with the troubles to appeal for order. They just marched, led by a stone-faced Lionel Messi, across half the field and into the tunnel.
Speaking of maintaining order, our referee is Piero Maza of Chile. He has a considerable amount of experience in the Copa Libertadores but not as much experience in national-team games.
Crowd unrest
This is unfortunate. We’re seeing what appears to be one corner of the stadium, and things are being thrown where things should not be thrown. Police are in the middle of a lot of people wearing Argentina’s stripes.
We will not be kicking off on time.
I just watched an insurance ad in Spanish. I have no idea what happened. Maybe for the best.
Kickoff should be … soon.
Is it the old-school samba? New-school chaos?
Fernando Diniz – an interim coach, though you could argue that any coach of Brazil is a game or two away from the end of his tenure – is looking toward long-term gains.
We’ve got just enough time for you to read all about it before kickoff …
Team news
Brazil
Alisson; Emerson, Marquinhos (c), Gabriel, Carlos Augusto; Gabriel Martinelli, Rodrygo, Raphinha, Andre, Bruno Guimaraes; Gabriel Jesus
Vinicius Junior, now injured, and Renan Lodi are the only absentees from the starting XI that lost to Colombia a few days ago. Gabriel Jesus and Carlos Augusto are the replacements.
Argentina
Martinez; Molina, Acuna, Romero, Otamendi; De Paul, Lo Celso, Fernandez, MacAllister; Alvarez, Messi (c)
Changes from their 0-2 loss to Uruguay, their first setback in qualifying: Acuna replaces Tagliafico, Lo Celso replaces Gonzalez.
Around the world today …
I was lucky to get in front of a TV just in time to see Greece and France trading goals. Final score: 2-2, the first blemish on France’s record. Greece still took third in the group and must go through the playoffs.
That’s also the fate awaiting Wales, which needed a favorable combination of results and did not get them.
The most interesting fixture over the next six hours will be in Mexico City, where Mexico trail Honduras 0-2 after the first leg of their Concacaf Nations League tussle. That game immediately follows this one.
Preamble
Welcome to a crucial World Cup qualifier between first-place Argentina and fifth-place Brazil, where …
… wait … do the standings matter?
CONMEBOL, the South American federation, has the simplest and fairest qualification system. No comparisons of runners-up across disparate groups. No draw that creates a “Group of Death.” No “playoff to get into the group stage that determines who goes to the playoff.”
Ten teams. Double round-robin. That’s it.
It’s a fair format. It’s also quite forgiving.
So Brazil are currently in fifth place, looking up not only at eternal rival Argentina and historically accomplished countries such as Uruguay and Colombia but also at Venezuela. If not for a three-point penalty to Ecuador, Brazil would be trailing them, too.
And they would still be on course to qualify for the next World Cup, which will include a mind-boggling 48 teams.
Even if things were truly horrific, Brazil would have nearly two years to fix the problem(s). The last games in this competition are in September 2025.
So if you’re just tuning in to see Messi and Gabriel Jesus without paying attention to the standings, you can be forgiven. After tonight, we’ll be one-third of the way through our 18 rounds. Then in a couple of years, if the Earth is still intact, Argentina will definitely be in the World Cup, and Brazil will almost definitely be there as well.
Enjoy this game for what it is – a bit more meaningful than a friendly, a bit less meaningful than a Copa America or World Cup elimination game.
Updated
Beau will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s more on a certain Lionel Messi’s role in tonight’s game:
Lionel Messi has felt many different emotions at the Maracanã. It was in the iconic Brazilian stadium that he suffered his biggest career defeat: the 2014 World Cup final. The loss brought strong criticism that shook the Argentina talisman for years. But it was also in Rio that he won the Copa América in 2021, his first title for the national team and which paved the way for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Two years after winning the South American title, Messi returns to the Maracanã on Tuesday for a World Cup qualifier at the perfect moment. Facing a Brazil in crisis, lost and full of instability since their elimination in Qatar, Messi could have his final coronation, with the recognition and applause of the rival fans in what is one of the greatest classics in world football.
“It would be an achievement for Messi to be cheered in Brazil. It’s a game at the Maracanã, a world classic game,” says the former Brazil left-back Adriano, who played with Messi between 2010 and 2016 at Barcelona.
“I’d approve if it happened. It would really honour his career. It would be historic. Even though he’s Argentinian, it’s recognition for what he represents to world football.”
